A rider pack containing a bottle of local wine and a salami, and a campsite featuring a swimming pool and an espresso machine; Verdicchio Race is the quintessential Italian experience.
The event kicked off today with a day of freeride, and the verdict on the track is FUN. The track is wide, the pavement is smooth but slippery, and the 10 corners cover the spectrum between hard braking and...do I need to brake? Unlike many roads in Europe, the corner exits are steep rather than flat, so speeds never drop.
Seven runs were smashed out before lunch, and then the storm rolled in, complete with hail. The sun returned, but some intermittent sprinkles kept the track patchy until the last two runs late the evening.
Today was a triumph of style and atmosphere, but qualifying starts tomorrow and the competitive juices are guaranteed to start flowing. Right now the flow is all about Verdicchio wine.
